


Prideless Rose

by demonladys



Series: Bandori Rarepair Week 2020 [5]
Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bandori Rarepair Week, Comfort, Depression, F/F, Rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:35:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24557035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonladys/pseuds/demonladys
Summary: In spite of the ongoing rivalry between the Mashiro-led Roselia and Ran's Afterglow, the hostility between these vocalists is not what it seems to those around them.
Relationships: Kurata Mashiro/Mitake Ran
Series: Bandori Rarepair Week 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768666
Comments: 10
Kudos: 32
Collections: Bandori Rarepair Week (2019-present)





	Prideless Rose

**Author's Note:**

> bandori rarepair week day 5! i used the day 3 prompt - different bands AU for this one  
> featuring roselia!mashiro in an overwhelming rivalry situation

The name Roselia echoes infinitely throughout the girl band scene. A group of highly skilled musicians with immense dedication and fortitude, a band whose climb to glory will be stopped by no wall, no ceiling, not even the furthest edge of the universe. With their sound in harmony, they pave the path before them no matter the obstacle. Rinko Shirokane, the quiet yet impassioned keyboardist with a determination she can only express through the music she produces from the tips of her fingers. Ako Udagawa, the young drummer with no off switch who wields the power of darkness and lives for the thrill of the stage. Sayo Hikawa, the steadfast guitarist driven by resolve and starlight who refuses to let herself be cast into shadows. Lisa Imai, the charming and regal bassist who serves as the glue that holds everyone together.

And the vocalist, Mashiro Kurata. A girl whose brilliance remains dim in the open but becomes lustrous at dawn. Yet, no matter how much she proves she’s capable, there's a voice in the back of her mind that whispers into her ear every day and night that she’s the one slowing everyone down. That she can’t do anything right, and it’d be best for everyone if she just quit. In spite of everything -- in spite of being the face for one of the most accomplished girl bands of her generation -- Mashiro Kurata just cannot accept that she is truly a worthy singer.

“Kurata-san, are you nervous?” Sayo asks with a gentle hum, as she always does before a big performance.

“A little bit…”

Backstage, Mashiro stares at her reflection in the mirror and downs half the contents from a full bottle of water before clumsily setting it aside in the makeup stand. It tips over, leading her to flail around in an attempt to catch it, but her reflexes fail her and it flies right out of her hands and rolls away elsewhere. Then she notices a tiny stream of unswallowed water leaking from the corner of her lip and brings her arm up to wipe it, but freezes in place when she realizes it’ll smear her soft red lipstick onto the deep blue of her frilled sleeve.

“Don’t sweat it too much! Just do what you always do!” Lisa assures her while approaching from behind. She taps her on the shoulder and opens up the palm of her hand. She holds a glimmering ornament in the shape of a cobalt butterfly. It has a golden outline, its wingspan perched over black rose petals. Mashiro takes it, then carefully pins it in the side of her hair. Her good luck charm, crafted by Nanami, her oddball friend from school. She wears it every single concert and swears it helps her focus -- it even helps silence those whispers of self-loathing for just long enough to get through the show. Maybe it’s placebo, but she’s not risking going up there without it.

In the corner of the mirror, Mashiro notices Ako practicing poses while doing her usual menacing laugh. “Fu fu fu… We’ll show them the ritual of the abyss… and then… BABAM!” she shouts out, prompting Rinko to giggle quietly.

She stands up and takes a deep breath in. She wonders to herself so often why her bandmates are so accommodating toward her. Even the strict and serious Sayo, as harsh as she can be during practice, has learned by now when to show genuine empathy to the timid young singer, when to give her a prideful smile and tell her that she’ll do great out there. And Lisa is so wonderful, always so thoughtful of everyone. Mashiro exhales, and allows her doubts to flow from her chest out into the stiff air inside the dressing room.

A live house staff member soon emerges through the backstage doors and signals that it’s go time. Mashiro soon finds herself stepping out onto a stage lit by azure and violet lights and beholds a crowd of thousands beyond, only visible from the sea of penlights stretching out to the other end of the concert hall. Oh god, there’s so many people and all eyes are on her. She can feel herself start to slip into panic while she tries her best not to count every single person in the crowd, but her brain is not cooperating with her wishes. One-hundred, two-hundred, three-hundr-

Wait.

She spots five barely-recognizable faces seated near the middle row to the far left of the stage. She probably wouldn’t have noticed at all had it not been for the way that crimson noodle in her rival’s hair mysteriously seems to glow in the dark like a heated lava lamp. She can’t see what sort of expression Ran is making, but something about seeing her and the rest of Afterglow right there cheering her on gives her just the moment of time she needs to calm her uneasy mind. And right behind them, she catches a glimpse of a few girls in Tsukinomori outfits. Could classmates from school really be here to support her, she wonders?

Mashiro approaches the mic and shuts her eyes, tight enough to block out the world around her. Normally at this point she’d trip over nothing and accidentally bump into the element, causing a loud screech through the whole venue as she fumbles to recover from the slip-up. But right now, she’s able to concentrate on conjuring the world of her imaginations. “We… We are Roselia!”

The audience roars, but she’s already erased them from her focus. The harmonious ballad of music, the rest of her bandmates behind her, kicks in and pushes her forward. When she re-opens her eyes, the scene has changed to that of a faithless church. Light shines in through stained glass windows, bathing the five musicians in a fragmented kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. Fairies dance around through the chapel bringing gentle verdant flickers into the realm of song. Rebuilding the world around her, Mashiro doesn’t hesitate to sing out with all the passion in her heart.

* * *

Lisa and Ako are practically carrying Mashiro out of the venue, they’re just all over her with affection and she’s got no space to breathe. “Man, that concert was AMAZING!” they both say in tandem as the five of them exit into the back alley next to the live house.

“We should be proud of our accomplishments, but we cannot afford to get complacent,” Sayo says, followed by the commanding sound of her clearing her throat. Rinko meanwhile clings closely to Lisa, arms wrapped over the bassist’s stomach. She doesn’t say a word, but there’s a giant smile glued across her face.

From the end of the alley, a menacing gang of five girls blocks the way. Ran steps forward, streak of red in her hair lighting the rest of their silhouettes in the night. “Roselia,” she says with a firm nod that says so much more than her words themselves could. Mashiro can recognize all the subtle little meanings it carries: “well done,” “this battle isn’t over,” “I respect your sound,” “we won’t lose to the likes of you.”

“Ran-san…!” Mashiro says, though her voice is a bit weak at this point in the night so it comes out all dry and hoarse. “T-thank you all for coming to our show.”

Meanwhile, conversation starts to break out between the other eight and they soon form into several small groups and everyone gets super into their routine post-performance banter.

“Rinko-san, you were amazing!”  
“Thank you, Hazawa-san… I was trying… to max out my performance skills…”

“Lisa-senpai! You were super cool up there, it makes me want to practice even harder!”  
“Ahahaha, thanks Himari-chan. I won’t let you catch up to me, though!”

Everyone except Mashiro, that is. As much as she appreciates all the talented musicians around her to learn from and study, she can feel the weight of her body collapse from the emotional fatigue of that show.

“Sayo-san~ I heard you mess up on that third song~”  
“Really? You may want to get your hearing double-checked, Aoba-san.”

“Did you see me up there, sis?! I went so wild tonight, I was practically in true devil mode!”  
“I know! I was watching the whole time, Ako!”   
“Fu fu fu… The power of oblivion within me grows even stronger!”

All the chatter around her makes Mashiro’s head spin. It’s impossible to keep up. And through all the chaos, the voice of doubt in her mind sneaks through and starts to remind her that she doesn’t matter, she’s the most replaceable member of the group so she should just run away. Her face morphs into a sullen gaze, all the affection and praise from the minute ago flushes away into a swamp of her own insecurity.

As the image of this swamp materializes around her, Ran steps up to her and whispers words of her own. “If you’re overwhelmed, we can go to my place.” She can see the faint smile across her lips even in the dead of night, probably in part thanks to the shine of her highlights. Or maybe it’s thanks to the familiar way her heart beats when she notices the kindness of her rival’s honest face.

Mashiro answers with a subtle nod, clutching onto the sleeve of Ran’s leather jacket as they take off running together while nobody else is watching.

* * *

There’s another meaning to that nod that nobody else in Roselia or Afterglow knows about. “I’m proud of you.” It’s what Ran always tells Mashiro after every time she works up the nerves to get on stage, to sing her heart out. No matter the crowd’s size, Ran always reminds her that she’s proud.

Ran’s bed is the comfiest thing Mashiro’s ever laid on, like she’s sinking down into a marshmallow. Or maybe that’s just how gravity works after such a long and nerve-wracking day, heaviness seeping through every fiber of her body. This is the first time she’s been inside her rival-slash-girlfriend’s bedroom, actually, but it looks like everything she’d expect. Maybe a bit tidier than she imagined, but filled wall-to-wall with rock CDs and framed photographs depicting several memories of Afterglow growing up. Ran always seems so scary, but she’s such a sweet and compassionate girl at heart.

Ran arrives at the bedside with two cups of tea, one for herself and one for Mashiro. The sweet scent of honey mixed in with leaves arises from the steam, turning the room into something of a fragrant garden for young girls in love. There’s hedges all over the perimeter and flora growing all around. A pair of butterflies glide through the air, perching themselves upon the stem of a lily. It’s paradise, if only a temporary one.

“Sorry we still have to do the whole ‘rivals’ thing. I’m not ready to tell them about us yet,” Ran says.

“I-it’s okay… It seems like everyone else is having fun with it…”

Ran chuckles while scratching her head. “Yeah, I mean… I guess I was into it at first?”

“Ran-san… I was so terrified of you…” Mashiro says, prompting Ran’s face to glow red like the streak in her hair. She still recalls the way Ran would glare at her whenever they bumped into each other at Circle or if they ever crossed paths on the road leading from Tsukinomori to Haneoka, and the way she would crawl back into her shell like a hermit crab in a heartbeat. Funny how times have changed and she’s resting on her rival’s bed in an imaginary garden like a princess.

“A-ah, I really wasn’t expecting the frontwoman of Roselia to be so timid. Sorry again.” Ran is always so sincere. Maybe not direct -- she’s quick to say stuff like “not bad” or “I didn’t hate it” about things she loves -- but sincere in how she’s not afraid to express herself. Mashiro truly envies that courage. Maybe someday, she’ll be able to think that of herself, too.

The couple sits in silence for a little while, sipping on tea and enjoying the comfort of each other’s presence. Once Mashiro’s body regains strength, she sits upright on the edge of Ran’s bed and tries to fix her hair which got all fluffy and messy while it was digging into the pillows. Ran stands beside her and helps out, ruffling through her hair with the same rough fingers she uses to turn the strings of her guitar into powerful declarations of feeling through rock. But despite the roughness, Ran’s fingers are always gentle enough to make Mashiro feel safe.

Her inner voice of dread remains silent along with them, thankfully. Mashiro looks at the clock at Ran’s bedside and sees it’s getting close to her usual bedtime. She can’t stay the night or mom will get worried, but she wants to savor these peaceful moments. Without even thinking, she throws her arms around Ran’s waist and clings to her, making herself snug. She looks past her girlfriend’s rigid appearance and into her kind eyes. They exchange a wordless smile, and for just a minute, all the stress inside Mashiro’s head fades away.

**Author's Note:**

> so... today's prompt was supposed to be NFO and i did have something else written for it but i kept feeling dissatisfied with how it turned out. i likely will post it at some point but not as a part of the rarepair week collection.


End file.
